The Art of Suicide
by Rainpath
Summary: Small continuation of Strawberry Gashes. Zach visits Adriane.
1. The Art of Suicide

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Avalon: Web of Magic/Quest for Magic series, or the song "The Art of Suicide". They belong to Rachel Roberts and Emilie Autumn respectively.**

_**The art of suicide, nightgowns and hair**_

_**Curls flying every which-way**_

_**The pain too pure too hide**_

_**Bridges of sighs**_

_**Meant to conceal lover's lies**_

Zach walked cautiously into the hospital room.

"Adriane?" He said quietly. She turned unreadable black eyes to him.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

_**Under the arches of moonlight and sky**_

_**Suddenly easy to contemplate why**_

_**Why**_

"Don't be. This..." She motioned to the bandages on her wrists, "It wasn't your fault."

Black eyes met blue ones. "You're lying to me," Zach replied.

"It wasn't--" The warrior begn to protest, then she hung her head. "It wasn't _entirely_ because of you."

A few moments of silence hung between them. "Because of what I said?" Zach finally asked.

Adriane sighed, once again trying to make sense of her own actions.

_**Why live a life**_

_**That's painted with pity and sadness and strife?**_

_**Why dream a dream **_

_**That's tainted with troubles and less than it seems?**_

_**Why bother bothering**_

_**Just for a poem or another sad song to sing?**_

_**Why live a life, why live a life**_

"I'm just crazy, Zach." She raised her head, and he stared at the glistening tears forming in her eyes. Now, Zach wanted to help her. He had never seen her vulnerable before that day in the Garden, and frankly, it scared him. She was broken. He could see the pain in her body language and instead of being angry with her, he wanted to fix her.

He just wasn't sure he could.

_**The art of suicide, pretty and clean**_

_**Conveys a theatrical scene**_

_**"Alas, I've gone!" she cried**_

_**Ankles displayed**_

_**Melodramatically laid**_

But he could try. And he knew the first step.

He walked from the door to the bed, and hugged her close. She let out a great, shaking sob and buried her face in his shirt. The tears were flowing freely now, releasing the emotional pain in a natural, healthy, human way. Zach was close to tears himself, but he closed his eyes and began to stroke her hair gently.

They didn't know how much time had passed, but when Adriane had no tears left to weep, she lifted her head and looked him in the eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He just nodded, then held her at arm's length and admired how beautiful she looked. Long black hair cascaded like a waterfall over her shoulders and down her back, the left side tucked behind her ear while the right side fell over her face. Large, expressive dark brown eyes rimmed in red sparkled with recent tears, and she was wearing a white linen hospital gown, which would have looked equally as pure and wonderful if the fabric had been silk.

"I want you to promise me something," he said.

"What?"

"Never to do this again. Come talk to me first."

_**Under the arches of moonlight and sky**_

_**Suddenly easy to contemplate why**_

_**Why**_

Adriane bit her lip. "It's not that easy. I'm going to have therapy to help me, but this isn't the sort of thing a person can just give up," She explained.

"Will you try, though?"

She gazed into his pleading, ocean blue eyes.

"I'll try," she promised.

He wrapped his arms around her, and she around him, for a few seconds.

"Thank you."

_**Why live a life**_

_**That painted with pity and sadness and strife?**_

_**Why dream a dream**_

_**That's tainted with trouble and less then it seems?**_

_**Why bother bothering**_

_**Just for a poem or another sad song to sing?**_

_**Why live a life, why live a life**_

"Do you want to go see your mother?" Zach had stayed in the room for about ten minutes to talk.

Adriane snorted. "Not really, but I supposed I have to sometime."

"Come on, then. Do you need any help?"

The warrior looked at him contemptuously, but then her gaze softened. "No, I think I can handle it."

All the same, Zach held the door open for her and followed her closely down the hall.

"Hi Mom," she called softly.

"Adriane, honey," Willow stood up quickly and ran to her daughter, hugging her tightly. "Why would you do this?" She asked, when she finally pulled away.

"I-- I can't explain, Mom. Not here."

Willow nodded reluctantly, and Adriane noticed Gran walking towards her.

_**Life is not like Gloomy Sunday**_

_**With a second ending when the people are disturbed**_

_**Well, they should be disturbed**_

_**Because there's a story that ought to be heard**_

_**Life is not like Gloomy Sunday**_

_**With a second ending where the people are disturbed**_

_**Well, they should be disturbed**_

_**Because there's a lesson that really ought to be learned**_

"Little Wolf," She said.

"Gran... I'm so sorry. This was stupid."

"Not stupid. Your actions were misguided. But let's not dwell on that now. You're alive-- Don't you think there's reason for that?"

"I guess," Adriane replied.

"Well, I know." Gran smiled pleasantly.

"Adriane?" Willow asked, closing her cell phone.

"Yeah?"

"Your father wants to see you. He's driving over with Janelle, he'll be here in twenty minutes. Do you want to see him?"

Adriane looked from Gran to Zach, then at Willow. "Alright," she replied.

_**The world is full of poets, we don't need anymore**_

_**The world is full of singers, we don't need anymore**_

_**The world is full of lovers, we don't need anymore...**_

**--**

**Do you guys think I should make one more chapter to this?** **Or are you sick of this plot and all of its angst by now?**

**By the way, I'm writing another 20-chapter story, this one centering around Emily. It should be up by November. Until then, I don't think I'll be posting any new fanfiction (except for this one, of course).**


	2. Calling Grace

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Avalon: Web of Magic/Quest for Magic series, or the song "Ciaran's Well". They belong to Rachel Roberts and Tarja Turunen respectively.**

_**In the dark, captured in his frozen heart**_

_**Colors fade into gray**_

_**She tried so hard, every word was torn apart**_

_**Shot her down with poisoned darts**_

Luc Charday walked through the automatic glass doors of the hospital with a little brown-haired girl in yellow cotton dress holding his hand, just as Adriane was returning from changing into jeans and a black long-sleeved top.

Luc looked up at his eldest daughter took a step towards her. Adriane felt her eyes sting with tears and ran at him, and he caught her in a hug, dropping Janelle's hand.

_**Her tears made her swim beneath the sea**_

_**She's free**_

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, close to tears himself. Janelle looked up at the two and smiled. When Adriane looked down at her, her eyes sparkled.

"You're my sister," She said to the little girl.

Janelle's smile grew larger. "Yes," she replied. "But you hurt yourself. That's why we're here..."

Adriane nodded and got down on her knees to face her sister. "I did something stupid. But I've learned so much from it. Maybe when you're older, I'll tell you the story."

_**Calling grace**_

_**She'll never fall again**_

_**Love remains in her**_

Janelle put up her tiny hand for a high-five, and Adriane lightly tapped it anf hugged her.

"Are you going to come live with us?"

Adriane shook her head. "No, I need to stay here, but I promise I'll come and visit a lot. Maybe during the summer, when school's out."

Janelle stuck out her tongue. "I don't like school."

_**Softy, her inner voice has learned to speak**_

_**Following her dreams**_

Willow stood up, and Gran with her. "I think that it's time to go home," she said.

Adriane turned to Zach. "Do you..."

Zach shook his head. "No, I think I'm going to go home."

Adriane looked confused for a moment, then hugged him. "I'll sneak back into the preserve and go through the portal later," he whispered in her ear.

_**Her tears made her swim beneath the sea**_

_**She's free**_

"Bye," she said to him. "Thank you."

Zach waved as the family left the hospital, then waited until he couldn't see the headlights of the car. The golden-haired boy walked through the doors and down the sidewalk, enjoying the starry night. He knew that he wouldn't get to Ravenswood until long after Adriane had, and he knew how to sneak in undetected. All was fine and safe for now.

_**Calling grace**_

_**She'll never fall again**_

_**Love remains in her**_

Adriane turned off the lights in her room and lay down on her bed, on top of the covers. For once in a very long time, she didn't feel the need to cut. Her mind was at ease, and she slowly closed her eyes as thoughts of her friends, family, and Zach crossed over into dreams.

_**Calling grace**_

_**She will rise again**_

_**Sacrifice the saints**_

_**Still love remains...**_


End file.
